


Yule

by teleen



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Holidays, Implied Sexual Content, Light BDSM, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 01:53:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1101011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teleen/pseuds/teleen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So what's it like where you come from?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yule

"So what's it like where you come from?" Ianto asked one day, quite out of the blue.  
  
"What's what like?"  
  
"Christmas."  
  
Jack blinked and for a moment Ianto thought that the next time he wanted Jack to be quiet for a little while he wouldn't need a gag, just a question about the future.  
  
"Never took you for the holiday type, Ianto."  
  
Ianto rolled his eyes. "It was just a question, Jack. Not a request for the secrets of the Universe. Only a question."  
  
Jack let out a breath and shrugged. "My parents were Traditional Atheists."  
  
"What are those?"  
  
"Atheists who still celebrate traditional holidays from various places, all over the three galaxies."  
  
"So you celebrated Christmas."  
  
"Yule, yes."  
  
"What was it like?"  
  
"Boring."  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
"It was. It was pretty much the same as what you lot do here. Food. Gifts that were of the 'it's the thought that counts' variety. More food. Spending time with friends and family. Like I said, same as what you lot do."  
  
"That's the broad strokes of it. I want the little details."  
  
"I rather like broad strokes." Jack's leer was almost enough to distract him from the subject at hand.  
  
Almost.  
  
"I'll give them to you later, as many as you like. For now, tell me about it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you never tell me anything and I thought this would be innocent enough to pass."  
  
"Pass what?"  
  
"The Jack Harkness 'can I trust Ianto with this' test."  
  
Jack frowned. "Given everything we do together, you honestly think I don't trust you?"  
  
"You trust me to tie you up and beat you. You trust me to listen when you say your safe word. For the rest- You trust me as far as you can throw me with one hand."  
  
"I've been working out, that might be further than you think."  
  
Ianto sighed and turned away. "Forget I asked."  
  
"Mom couldn't cook worth a damn, but one day a year we'd all pretend she could. Dad always had the food dispenser on standby, but somehow we always managed to eat whatever so-called "traditional" thing she came up with. Did you know I grew up a vegetarian?"  
  
"No." Ianto said over his shoulder.  
  
"Well, everyone in the 51st century is, really. Food's just processed vegetable protein that's remade into meat or cheese or anything else you could want. Took me years to realize just how bad the processed stuff was. I'd hate to go back and have to eat it now."  
  
A long pause, then, "Dad would decorate the house. We lived on the beach and while it wasn't exactly cold there, it was never really warm, either. Rather like Wales, now that I think of it. Anyway, he'd put up decorations that had been in the family since before we'd colonized Boeshane. There was even an old-Earth synthetic pine tree, complete with built-in lights. It was nearly ready to give up the ghost by the time Gray and I came along, but somehow dad always made it work. Every year, they'd have us kids make something for it. Gray made a star the year before-" He swallowed and continued as though his voice hadn't cracked. "I made a little replica of the tree."  
  
Ianto turned to face him and the look on Jack's face made him want to hug him, but he didn't dare for fear of breaking whatever spell that was making Jack speak to him about...well, anything from his past, really.  
  
Jack drew in a deep, deep breath. "Every year, they'd teach us about a different part of the Yule tradition, from the pagan parts all the way up to the Eleventh Church Reformation." He smiled. "Mom was a history teacher and she wanted us to learn where every little human belief came from. We'd all go shopping a few days ahead, Secret Santa-style. And when we were done, we'd put our gifts under the tree, wrapped in old newspaper." Jack met Ianto's eyes, very seriously. A moment later, they both broke out laughing.  
  
"You almost had me, but print's dead now; you won't make me believe there are still newspapers in the 51st century."  
  
Jack shrugged and spread his hands. "Honestly, it wasn't much different than it is now. Food. Gifts. Decorations. Family. Friends. More food."  
  
Something in his voice made Ianto's heart drop. "You can't remember, can you? The reason you don't tell me anything is because you don't know yourself."  
  
"Not a bit of it. I buried it all a long time ago."  
  
"I'll stop asking."  
  
"Please don't."  
  
Ianto frowned and Jack shrugged again. "When you ask, I can pretend I'm just a guy from the future, telling his primitive friend what's going to happen later."  
  
"You'll pay for that."  
  
"I would hope so." The leer was back and Ianto didn't even try to resist it this time.  
  
He grinned. "Come on, brat. Let's go and make some traditions of our own."


End file.
